The Wong Family

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Prematurity Awareness Day

Today, MPP Frank Klees will be delivering a statement of address to the House of Commons to declare March 19th as Prematurity Awareness Day in Canada.

Prematurity is increasingly on the rise in North America. According to the Linden Fund, approximately 12% of babies born are preterm in Canada. Of that 12%:

84% are born between 32-36 weeks of gestation;

10% are born between 28-31 weeks; and

6% are born earlier than 28 weeks (that's where Tyson fits in).

According to the March of Dimes, "Prematurity is the leading killer of America's newborns. Those who survive often have lifelong health problems, including cerebral palsy, mental retardation, chronic lung disease, blindness and hearing loss. Prematurity has been escalating steadily and alarmingly over the past two decades. In 2005, more than 525,000 infants were born prematurely, the highest number ever reported for the U.S... Preterm delivery can happen to any pregnant woman. In about four out of every 10 cases, the causes are unknown."

Make a Donation
The mission of The March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies through the prevention of birth defects, prematurity, and infant mortality. If you would like to donate to the March of Dimes, you can do so in honour of Tyson! Click on the band:

Or, you can donate locally to The Linden Fund, which supports Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Canada.

Famous Preemies
Some preemie trivia... did you know the following famous people were preemies?